Personalizing Your Wedding Part II

When planning your wedding, it’s often easy to become caught up in the “logistics” and seemingly never-ending to-do lists. To keep yourself grounded, look for ways to invest in those special relationships. Inspired by an idea found on Pinterest, yet another of our favorite couples, Megan and Brian, (link to gallery) invited their grandmothers to serve as their flower girls, much to everyone’s delight. The couple’s grandfathers each read a selection of poetry during the ceremony. And I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to have my 80-something year old grandmother play “Someone to Watch Over Me” for my own wedding processional - on the same saxophone she bought when she was seventeen. I can’t think of a sweeter way to honor the legacies of generations before us than to pay tribute to them in how we celebrate. You might have heard that we’re all about “the legacy of a love story” here at Aribella Events – and if you don’t know who “Aribella” is or where my grandmother fits in, read the story here. (link to about us Aribella story.)

Yet another couple, Jeff & Melissa, (link to gallery) – and yes, you guessed it, another favorite – felt their wedding party just wasn’t the same without two dear friends who were in Africa during their wedding. Even though their friends couldn’t join them in person for the celebration, Jeff and Melissa included cutouts of their faces, mounted on craft sticks, during their wedding party photos. A fellow sweet tooth with a love for ice cream, I’ll never forget the look on Melissa’s face when I surprised her with a simple vanilla ice cream cone during photos. She made an offhanded comment in one of our planning calls, “Wouldn’t it be fun if we had ice cream cones on our wedding day for pictures?!” She might have forgotten the idea – but I didn’t. And still one of my most favorite and tender memories, all these years later, is of Jeff and Melissa standing under their chuppah; Melissa’s father’s prayer shawl (proper name) and Jeff’s mother’s wedding veil, both of whom had passed away, blended together to provide a covering for them.

Sometimes you just know. From the beginning of her relationship with John, Rebecca kept a journal of their journey together. She then presented this to him – along with a racing helmet emblazoned with “I (heart) my wife!” – on their wedding day. Rebecca, one of my favorites and a fellow romantic, had been close with her grandparents while they were alive. She had wedding photos of each set of grandparents’ printed on material and stitched into the hem of her wedding dress, inviting them to walk with her down the aisle. She even selected an over the arm bouquet of roses for her bridesmaids to carry, inspired by her grandmother’s wedding. And for an equestrian family like Rebecca and John, special relationships include those members with four legs too. Rebecca hand-painted frames for the guest tables as her “DIY project,” each table named after a family pet.

Take a moment in your wedding planning to bask in the relationships you have. Regardless of the stress, of the wedding party drama, or the family squabbles, you are so loved that these people would come together to celebrate your love story with you. Maybe there’s a special relationship that you want to honor in a unique way for your wedding? Or maybe this is just a little nudge to sit down and write a (hand-written) thank you card to someone who has influenced your life. As much as we love a good party, when it comes down to it, it’s really about the people, isn’t it?